On Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:38:10 +0000, Invisible wrote:

> On 02/02/2012 10:14 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> On Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:14:02 +0000, Invisible wrote:
>>
>>> Given that my job necessarily involves remaining absolutely motionless
>>> for hours on end, and that I only have an hour or two of spare time
>>> per day, is there *anything* I can do with that time which will make
>>> the slightest shred of difference? Or is the situation just hopeless?
>>
>> Are you going to be willing to listen to the answers, or are you just
>> going to assert "no, that can't possibly be true" because you don't
>> believe it could possibly be true?
> 
> I'm no fitness expert. I'm just asking whether a few hours a week is
> enough to make a difference or not.

In my experience, it is.  You may recall that I went to the gym for a 
couple years and worked out on a treadmill and a stationary bike.

20 minutes of solid cardio every day is enough to improve things, but you 
have to get your heart rate up to a good rate - for me, the ideal zone at 
the time was in the 140-145 bpm range.  Sustaining that for 20-30 minutes 
to start with is a good place to start at (or was for me, it does vary 
from individual to individual).  I had been up to an hour.

It also is more effective if you change the workout up regularly.  Not 
*too* frequently, or your body gets used to the change.  I had been 
alternating daily between the bike and treadmill, and my trainer said 
that was changing things up too frequently.  Changing once a week was his 
recommendation.

Jim

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